Reviews

If you like coffee, get an Aeropress! If you like coffee and like camping, you have no choice but to get an Aeropress!

Pros

Simple to use

Brews extremely smooth coffee

Impresses your friends

Compact

Lightweight

Great for traveling

Great for camping

Easy cleaning

Cons

None

OK, this is one of my favorite coffee brewing methods! It's so simple to use and great to take anywhere with you! My last camping trip was the first time I got to take it camping and it was amazing having it.

I've used percolators and coffee presses at the campsite and the Aeropress just blows them out of the water. As you plunge the water through the coffee and filter on the Aeropress, it practically cleans itself. I know every time I use a perc. and a press, it normally ends up getting pretty messy.

You will be amazed at the smoothness of the brew so happy about how little space it takes up in your pack!

I'm not joking, if you like to have coffee while camping, you need to get one of these.

David Drake

There's a local coffee bar in Tucson that uses these if your request. I like them, and would own one, if they were made of glass. I'm hoping a glass rendition is in the pipeline, they're pretty neat!

6 years ago

Joseph Renow

Ben...do you have the weight?...how about the smallest packable size? I am assuming it is made of plastic? Thanks!

6 years ago

Ben Rivers

Joseph, in its smallest packable size it is 5.5" tall and weighs 8.1oz. and yes it is made of hard plastic. If I'm trying to save room, I will also go ahead and grind my beans before I leave my house, put them in a ziploc bag and stuff them inside the Aeropress to go in my backpack. If you look at my picture directly above you'll see the Aeropress fully extended. You would pack it with that bottom part pushed up into the top part.

6 years ago

Ben Rivers

David, just curious.. why would you want it to be made of glass?

6 years ago

Joseph Renow

Thanks Ben...nice use of space using the beans in the void between the two pieces!

6 years ago

David Drake

Hi Ben, Only because glass is rather inert. For use in backpacking I would prefer a titanium version. Glass would be sufficient if I was car camping. I sometimes bring my french press along with me, car camping, without any problems. If the wind blows I'll protect it the best I can. Ti, however, would be the better of substances and would enjoy the product in my pack, if it were ti.

6 years ago

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Yanu Kresgy+23March 21, 2012

The best cup of espresso you'll ever make on the trail, but there's a trick to using it.

Pros

Inexpensive

Simple to use

Easy to clean up

Makes REALLY good espresso

Cons

On the bulky side for camping use

Filters require replacement

There's a trick to making the best use of this. Don't follow their instructions. At least, don't follow one step.

Their instructions say to position the chamber (with filter) over your cup, then add coffee grounds and hot water. If you do this, the water runs through too quickly and your coffee won't steep properly.

Instead, put the plunger in the chamber, withdraw the plunger to allow for the amount of coffee you intend making, then stand it upside-down, with the plunger on the bottom. Add your coffee and hot water (175-180 degrees), stir and steep. Then screw the filter holder and filter onto the chamber, flip over and press into your cup.

I guarantee it will be be best cup of espresso you've ever had in the middle of nowhere.

Right up front, this lightweight, compact coffee press is absolutely the best way to make coffee! It's fast and extremely easy to use. Setup, brewing, and cleanup takes less than 2.5 minutes.

Pros

Easy to use

Brews GREAT coffee!

Lightweight and compact

Fast brewing time

Cons

Heavily counterfeited

I love my coffee, and the Aerobie AeroPress is hands down the best coffee maker that I have ever come across. It's so good, that there are almost 35,000 positive reviews and how-to videos on YouTube. I highly recommend watching some of those videos. I highly recommend any one of the inverted methods.

Setup, brewing, and cleanup are simple, and it's very fast. Once your water is hot, you are 50 seconds from a great cup of coffee. Cleanup requires almost no water. Just wipe it off and it's ready to brew another cup.

The AeroPress paper filters cost less than $.02 each and come packed in bags of 350.

There is only one part that requires occasional replacement. The rubber plunger cap will eventually wear out. I have been getting 10-12 months of usage at 2-3 cups of coffee per day. Replacement caps are inexpensive, and easy to install. I recommend keeping one on hand, so that you have it when you need it.

One word of WARNING! The AeroPress is one of the most highly counterfeited products for sale on the Internet. Many of the AeroPresses sold on Amazon are counterfeits, however, the AeroPresses sold directly from Amazon are the real deal.

I highly recommend going to the Aerobie, Inc website for a list of authorized dealers.

One more caution, AeroPress.com IS NOT the official AeroPress website, nor are they an authorized dealer. AeroPress, Inc. is the official AeroPress website.

Source: bought it new

Alicia MacLeayTRAILSPACE STAFF

Thanks for the review, Jon!

3 years ago

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Jay Kalisek+4July 7, 2014

There is no better way to make coffee. I use it exclusively at home and on the trail. I would love to see a lighter weight version...say carbon fiber or titanium. AND I'd like to see GSI work with Aerobie to get the Java Mill to nest with the AeroPress.

This coffee press gives you a pseudo-espresso in a couple of minutes, to which you can then add hot water, in order to get a drink similar to an Americano or Long Black.

The device can be stripped down to the essential chamber and plunger for backpacking but even then it weighs just under 250g, which is similar to the Bodin double wall press with the drinking top. However, the Bodin can only be used for one person if you make it normally, whereas the Aeropress can make a lot (4+) of 'shots' at once.

The company would do well to manufacture a lighter weight version and utilise the inside of the plunger airspace for storage, especially of the filters which could easily get wet or dirty. You could zip-lock some coffee and put it in there perhaps. Actually, you can carry the measuring spoon if you cut the handle a bit and force it in the plunger airspace.

Coffee needs to be fine ground so if you're planning a long trek, you might have to have it sent out or find a supermarket with a self-service grinder.

Your cup needs to be the right diameter at the top; about 'large mug' size.

One cannot help but ponder the idea of using such a pump action filter to clean water and I wonder whether we will ever see something in Lexan that also has a filter disc for cleaning your water; then you could boil the assembly for a bit and use it to make coffee once again.

Ultimately, making coffee on this is a bit like using a burger press. It's just too plastic and mundane an experience. It doesn't have the rough and ready quality of a normal french press, nor does it have the refined quality of a real espresso machine/kettle. Now if they made it out of carbon fibre...

The endless quest for a good, lightweight brew kit continues. ;-)

Price Paid: GBP 20.00

Richard

Just a quick note on the storage space, I keep my porlex hand grinder inside the aeropress for camping and don't bother taking the scoop - I just use the measuring grade on my cup :)
Totally agree about the plastic experience though, never use it at home - unless I'm telling a fellow geek about it